choice between cooperating and dying

At the opening of the climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres harshly stressed the need to implement climate measures. “Greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, temperatures are rising and the planet is nearing the point where climate chaos is irreversible,” he said in his opening statement.

“We are on the highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator,” he told leaders of countries gathered at the COP27 climate summit in the Egyptian locality.

According to Guterres, a clear choice must be made: work together to reduce emissions or burden future generations with a climate disaster. “Humanity can choose between cooperating and dying.”

The head of the United Nations wants a pact between the richest and poorest countries to accelerate the energy transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. To do this, the poorest countries must receive money to be able to reduce emissions and cope with the current consequences of climate change. Guterres relies primarily on the two largest economies, the United States and China. He believes they have a special responsibility to join forces and make such an agreement possible.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahya said his country, a member of the oil-producing countries united in OPEC, will continue to supply oil and gas for as long as needed. He also said his country is focusing on lower emissions and cleaner gas burning. “We are also working on renewable and sustainable energy and on ending emissions by 2050”. Zayed pointed out that the UAE and the United States have signed a $ 100 billion deal to achieve this.

The next climate summit, COP28, will be held in Dubai next year, then in the UAE. There will be a first assessment of the Paris climate agreement and the agreements of previous climate summits, including the current one, President Zayed said. In Paris it was agreed that global warming must remain well below 2 degrees and preferably below 1.5 degrees.

The guest president of Egypt Sisi in his speech stressed that, despite the great problems, there are signs of hope. “Egypt has set ambitious goals and we are determined to achieve them,” he said. The country is working on a green economy with low CO2 emissions and the obligation to do so is enshrined in the law. “We want tangible results”.

He said that all countries are capable of achieving these goals and that it is important that rich countries help the poor, that countries trust each other and that responsibility is shared. He also stressed the importance of funding for the poorest countries. “We know what needs to be done, we have the money and the technological resources, but we also need to actually implement the measures.”

The countries most affected by climate change are pushing for financial compensation. Poor countries that have contributed least to climate change are the most vulnerable to its effects. They need money to take measures and fight the consequences, such as floods.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stressed that the political will to implement the measures appears to be lacking. “Furthermore, the global south depends on the north. We have great ambitions, but we cannot achieve them because we are hindered by other countries”. In particular, you highlighted the importance of a fund losses and damages, a fund from which poor countries can draw to fight and pay for the effects of climate change.

Rich countries have to step in to pay that damage. This topic is delicate at the top, but there seems to be growing awareness that this cannot wait any longer.

Today and tomorrow, delegations from all participating countries will have the opportunity to make their main point in up to three minutes.